Used for Peace in Pieces
by Smiles Burn In The Styx
Summary: They were separated through a plot by the owl goddess. Her memories were wiped. She doesn't even remember his name. Until the dove visits her, revealing everything. *PERCABETH MINI-STORY* ONE-SHOT The cover doesn't belong to me. It's off the internet.


**Used for Peace in Pieces**

_**Percabeth Short Story**_

She doesn't know what happened that morning. She doesn't know that he woke up early on her birthday, stepping out of camp to pick up her present. She doesn't know anything from that July 12th.

But he does.

It was at the crack of dawn that his sea-green orbs opened to the world. He quickly got ready, wanting to make it her most amazing birthday. It was the last one she would spend at camp, as far as he knew.

He left camp to visit Leo Valdez and Calypso, whose residence only he knew. He had stumbled upon them one afternoon after defeating a monster, promising not to tell anyone. He hadn't even told Annabeth, which had been hard.

He wanted to spend her birthday with as much happiness as he could; her last one was filled with too many tragic memories. He didn't know that the goddess of wisdom was watching him, laying out a plan to eliminate him. He only knew he was visiting a Latino elf, picking up the present he had custom-made for Annabeth and himself. He hoped she would love it.

He had two rings made, one with a grey band and a grey owl, the other with a green band and a green trident. The rings had a special magic to them, courtesy of a few goddesses, who had favors they could get out of him. Once the owners wore them, they had to be within 100 yards of each other to activate them. Then, they could talk telepathically, able to share any thoughts or experiences if they wished.

There was another reason he had gotten them. Nightmares haunted both of them from their time in Ancient Greece's hell. With these rings, they could calm each other, whether awake or asleep.

All they had to do was wear them and be within 100 yards of each other. Then, they could be in different galaxies and would still be able to talk. A small, easy task for a noble cause.

But it didn't turn out to be so easy.

He had just reached Thalia's pine tree when a gray fog came after him. Even though he had never seen it before, he knew exactly what it was. He didn't hesitate as he slipped Annabeth's ring onto one of the lower branches, praying to Aphrodite that she would find it. He slipped his own onto his finger, not doubting Aphrodite's power. The gray fog enveloped him and he disappeared, but not before he whispered "I love you, Annabeth."

There was no trace of the Son of Poseidon. Everything having to do with him was erased. Everyone's memories of him disappeared. Only two humans remembered him at all.

Paul and Sally Blofis.

* * *

><p>Her hands shook as she shoved the pancake into her mouth. She was going to her first interview to be an architect today. It was also the first time she was stepping outside of New Rome and back to the mortal world. She hadn't been there in years, and to say she was nervous was an understatement.<p>

There was nothing missing in 24-year-old Annabeth Chase's life. She was a Greek daughter of Athena who had survived the wars against the Titans _and _Giants. She had been a part of not one, but two great prophecies.

She vaguely knew that there was someone else who had been a part of both of them with her, but she didn't know who. She didn't remember anything about that person. Her mind would become unfocused whenever she got to that thought.

She would call herself crazy, except the same thing would happen to everyone. Why couldn't they remember their hero?

She would stay away from the beach, because children of Athena would possibly drown. There was no ancient law saying they couldn't; they just preferred not to.

She had been specifically forbidden to by her mother. When she had gone to the beach on her 18th birthday, a snippet of a memory had drowned her. She had seen a pair of sea-green eyes, shining with happiness. The memory had gone away as her mother had appeared. She hadn't gone to the beach since.

Shaking her head, she ran out of the camp, her friends still calling out to her. She couldn't stay, though; she had her first interview ever and she wasn't going to be late.

She eventually hailed a cab once she got out, not having adjusted to the mortal world completely. After the interview, she would go and visit her dad and stay with him for a while. It would be perfect.

She sat in the reception area of the architectural firm for what felt like hours until she was finally called in to the manager's office. She sat in the chair across from the desk, her interviewer's back turned to her. She cleared her throat and he turned.

His eyes were wide as soon as they settled on her, but it wasn't for how beautiful she was. It was almost as if he had been searching for her.

He had raven hair that stuck up all over, green eyes like the sea, and olive-toned skin, just like Thalia. For some reason, Annabeth thought of her mother's mortal enemy as she looked at him; Poseidon.

Her interviewer stood up, staring at her for long minutes until finally opening his mouth to speak. And what he said made no sense to her.

"I love you."

Before she could register his words, he turned into stone and cracks started appearing on him. She panicked, closing her eyes and turning around, wondering if Medusa was there. Squinting, she opened her eyes and found no one there. She turned back around and found a pile of rubble.

There was no logical explanation for what was happening.

"Well of course there is," a voice said from directly in front of her, and she blinked to find the goddess of love and beauty standing in front of her.

As soon as Annabeth saw her, something weird happened. As if a movie had started at the back of her mind, memories started playing. They were hers, and yet she felt no connection to them. It was her quests with the sea-green-eyed boy, fitting in perfectly with her life story.

Aphrodite watched her as the memories of her boyfriend played out in her mind. It was almost six years ago that these memories had been wiped off.

When the memories stopped on the day of her 18th birthday, she squeezed her eyes shut. "Whose memories are these?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking.

"Yours," the goddess replied, a sad smile gracing her expression. Annabeth shook her head.

"They-they can't be. P-P-P- What was his name?"

"Percy Jackson."

"Percy was a son of Poseidon. Athena hates Poseidon. She never would have let it go that I was dating his son."

A small tear slid down Aphrodite's cheek as she watched the daughter of Athena deny her love. "She didn't let it go, did she? Look where you are! An adult living a life without the boy she had planned hers with!"

Annabeth still shook her head. "I could never have fallen in love with a son of Poseidon."

"And you didn't," the goddess said softly. Annabeth froze and turned to the goddess.

"What?"

"You didn't," the goddess repeated softly. "You never were in love with Percy."

"But in the memories I just saw I..."She closed her mouth for a few minutes before opening it again. "I did."

The sad smile graced the goddess's expression as tears slid freely down her cheeks. "You always had things to lose yourself into. Architecture, mysteries, puzzles. He wasn't the only thing you spent time on. But for him..." Aphrodite wiped away a few tears before continuing. "You were the most important thing to him. Sure, he needed the ocean. But compared to you, the ocean was nothing. He needed you more than life itself."

Annabeth took in a ragged breath as she tried to compose herself. She hated to admit it, but Aphrodite was right. Annabeth remembered the one year she had spent going to Goode with Percy, how she would forget the time while doing her homework and Percy would have to wait for hours, sometimes days, before he got her to himself. He would tell her he understood that was the way she was, and he didn't mind, so she brushed it off. But now she realized how big of a deal it was.

"A man who loves someone so much and isn't afraid to admit it? No one deserves so much love. And guess what? He thinks _he's_ the one who doesn't deserve _you_." Aphrodite gave a humorless chuckle at the end.

Annabeth eyes were creating quite a flood, and as they did, a memory of Percy came to her.

She was crying into his shirt, thinking of Bob and Damasen, and he comforted her. When she calmed down, she pulled back and whispered "You shirt is stained with my tears now."

He laughed, then said, "Tears are made of salt, right?" Annabeth nodded, and as she watched, the dampness on her cheeks and his shirt disappeared. "Ocean water is 99% salt, you know that?"

She laughed and punched his arm, to which he over exaggerated pain. This sent her into another fit of laughter. When she was done, she saw a look of so much love in his eyes, she shifted uncomfortably.

"Let's make hot coca," she suggested. He nodded, and they went to the kitchen.

Aphrodite was still watching her sadly.

"If the roles were reversed in Athena's plan, the plan would have failed. Do you know why?" Annabeth shook her head. "I could try to remove Percy's love for you, but it would have failed. He loves you too much for even ME to control. can you guess how much love that is? A lot!"

"But the plan worked on me," Annabeth whispered. "I didn't love him NEARLY as much as he loved me, so Athena's plan worked. She succeeded in separating us."

"Poseidon was angry, but he couldn't do much."

"And why did you do it? Why did you help her?"

"She tricked me." Aphrodite's voice was shaking. "Athena always has a plan, you know."

Annabeth shook her head, staring at the goddess with hate. "Why are you here?"

"Your ring," Aphrodite said, pointing at Annabeth's hand. She had found it on Thalia's tree on the morning of her 18th birthday, and something had urged her to take it. "It was a gift from Percy."

At Aphrodite's words, her gaze fell onto the pile of rubble that used to be Percy. Aphrodite followed her gaze.

"A shabti. He asked Carter Kane, the Egyptian, to send this shabti to relay his message. So you would know." Annabeth turned back to the goddess, a question burning its way out, yet getting stuck. Aphrodite understood. "He's in Manhattan. With his mother."

Forgetting all about monsters and architecture, Annabeth found herself catching a plane to New York. Nearly 12 hours later, she found herself knocking on the door of the Blofis-Jackson residence. Of course, Percy opened the door.

"Hey," she greeted, a smile lighting her up with happiness.

Percy smiled back, and she found herself falling again, just like when she fell into Tartarus. This time, though, it was pleasant.


End file.
